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Himes opposes package of deficit-ballooning tax extenders

December 17, 2015

Press Release

Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) released the following statement on his vote against tax extenders:

“Paul Ryan and the Republican majority specifically designed this vote to be difficult by loading the bill with credits and extensions for programs that are important to those of us who care about families, combating poverty, and supporting charitable giving and job growth. However, because the bill didn’t pay for these, its passage will add at least $780 billion, including interest, to the national debt over the ten years and $2 trillion over the next two decades.

“This is a deliberate strategy, crafted over the years by Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. In the coming years, as the national debt balloons, the architects of today’s massive spending bill will reacquire a sense of fiscal responsibility and piously demand cuts to investments in education, infrastructure, Medicare and Social Security. As our population ages and our students, schools and transportation systems cry out for investment, we will regret this vote.

“I support many of the credits included in the bill such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is one of the best anti-poverty tools we have at our disposal, as well as tax extenders to help Americans raise and educate their children and support research and development for business. But, if we truly prioritize these programs, we should find a way to pay for them rather than dig ourselves into debt.”